Daily Archives: December 16, 2015

Colonization: Venus better than Mars? / Boing Boing

Posted: December 16, 2015 at 1:43 pm

The new episode of PBS Space Time asks, "Should we colonize Venus instead of Mars?" Fine with me, so long as we stay away from Europa, and don't attempt any landings there.

Youd be forgiven for thinking the videocassette format long-dead, but it turns out that Betamax is still around. Sony is finally going to withdraw tapes from sale, bringing a 40-year story to an end. The last recorders were sold in 2002. MV [Sony; via The Verge]

A leaked Comcast memo discloses that the companys consumer data caps have nothing to do with network congestion, contrary to its public claims. The internet service provider has often complained (such as when lobbying against net neutrality) that it must impose limits on service to prevent network congestion. The argument suggests that these measures are []

LA Makerspace co-founder Tara Tiger Brown shares a project that her kid-friendly maker workshop is trying to make a reality.

Cables fray, and chargers disappear into thin air. Even if you dont need a replacement, snag a backup to store in your bag while youre on-the-go. This MagSafe 2 Power Adapter for MacBook Air is so smart that its magnetic DC connector disconnects without harm should you snag it or trip over it, and its []

Efficiency, productivity, and agility are increasingly valued career skills. Cultivate your own with this e-learning bundle from the expert instructors at eduCBA.

This tiny drone is a mighty flyer.

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Colonization: Venus better than Mars? / Boing Boing

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Luna Society International – Official Website Of The Moon …

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The future of the Moon, including settlement, tourism and resource development is in your hands. Become a member-citizen of the Luna Society today and receive an acre of land on the Moon (or more!) as your gift, connecting you directly with our nearest planetary neighbor!

PERSONAL MEMBERSHIP CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP GIFT MEMBERSHIP

THE FUTURE OF LUNAR DEVELOPMENT

Keep up to date on the latest news from space exploration, the aerospace industry and privatized development of the Moon by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter!

In honor of Mandela Day, a "Peace Crater" in the Lunar Lake of Dreams has been dedicated to humanitarian and statesman Nelson Mandela. [Click here]

CONFIRMED WATER FOUND ON THE MOON: Critical to the hope of sustaining life on the Moon, researchers have now confirmed that water does exist on the Lunar surface. [Click here]

The renowned newsman Walter Cronkite has been honored with the naming of a crater in his honor adjacent to the 1969 landing site of Apollo 11, near craters previously named for astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. [Click here]

Yasser Rehman, Tom Cruise's next-door neighbor (on the Moon, that is), is profiled in India's leading magazine as a budding Lunar entrepreneur. [Click here]

Luna Society votes unanimously to designate a Lunar crater for Michael Jackson (formerly Posidonius J) in honor of the legendary entertainer and prominent Moon property owner. [Click here]

The Lunar Embassy's Canadian franchisee, a fugitive wanted on fraud charges, is arrested outside a Las Vegas casino; had gambled with "moon owner" Dennis Hope in Las Vegas prior to disappearance.[Click here]

The organizers of the Kennedy II Lunar Exploration Project have announced that they will accept financial support from the Lunar Republic Society and its partners as part of a $3.5-billion effort toward a commercial mission to build settlements on the Moon. [Click here]

Nearly 40 years after the Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon's surface, the European Smart-1 space probe was launched to investigate the Lunar far side in a mission that could finally answer questions about the origin of Earth's closest neighbor. [Click here]

The head of the European Space Agency's Smart-1 Lunar mission says that human settlement of the Moon will be technologically possible within two decades if political roadblocks are cleared. [Click here]

The International Astronomical Union has announced that it will postpone designating Lunar craters to commemorate the fallen crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS 107) for three years. [Click here]

The International Astronomical Union unanimously votes to vacate the designation of a crater named after a suspected Nazi war criminal following an inquiry by the Lunar Republic Society. [Clickhere]

The most comprehensive Lunar atlas ever released online to the public is now available to everyone. Get your first look ... and don't forget to pick up your full version on CD-ROM! [Clickhere]

Searching for information on lunar mineral resources? Looking for the history of lunar exploration? When's the next full moon? You'll find what your looking for, including maps, photographs, reference materials and links, in our extensive storehouse of lunar facts and figures! [Clickhere]

If it's Lunar, it's available from The Lunar Shops! The official retailer of the Luna Society offers books, globes, maps, posters ... even your own acre of land on the Moon. Whether you are into astronomy, science fiction or if you're simply seeking a great gift idea, a stroll down our aisles will lead to just what you are looking for! [Clickhere]

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What Is DNA? | eHow

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All living things have a special genetic makeup that is unique to their species. Animals, plants, single-celled organisms, and even some viruses contain deoxyribonucleic acid, also called DNA, which contains these genes. They are responsible in creating new cells and for holding the blueprints of the organism. Currently, geneticists are studying DNA in order to understand how to fight certain diseases, and also to figure out how to artificially replicate DNA strands in order to create cells in a laboratory setting.

DNA is one of the most significant parts of any living organism. It makes up the building blocks of all individual creatures and is directly responsible for all the traits of a creature. Color, size, shape, and any deformations that may occur are all a result of the unique DNA strands that are formed when the organism is developing. Through DNA replication, cells can divide and tissue damage can be repaired. DNA is also allowing scientists to help find cures for many genetic diseases or conditions that are prevalent today. Some examples of these genetic diseases, which are results of faulty or mutated DNA, are Down's Syndrome and sickle-cell anemia.

A single strand of DNA features two base polymers, which are simply long strands of protein molecules, that run in different directions, but parallel to each other, never crossing. Between them are the mess of genetic material that creates the unique makeup of an individual. These are formed by sugar molecules, which are attached to bases, of which there are four different kinds. The bases are simple molecules that are responsible for creating pairs with sugars, which attach to make molecules. These combine in various ways over and over again to create the entire DNA blueprint. These structures are called chromosomes, which are duplicated when cells divide.

DNA holds all the genetic material that creates the genome of an organism. When cells divide, DNA is read by RNA strands and then replicated. The needed DNA strands then fuse together to create a copy of the original DNA strand. When this is done, new cells are created, which will then build new tissues and so on. This is the most important function of DNA as it is what allows the body to heal itself over time and also is the process that takes place during pregnancy to create a new member of a species.

Friedrich Miescher was the first person to successfully isolate DNA in 1869. This began the study of DNA, and in 1919 the next major discovery was found. It was then that Phoebus Levene discovered the sugars, bases, and phosphates in the DNA. Later, scientists began to discover how these basic units fit together to create a long strand that could be "read." As the strands were studied, scientists found that segments of them could be read to represent certain traits of organisms. In recent times, DNA has been studied for genetic engineering.

DNA has a telltale shape that is taught as part of basic scientific knowledge in school. It is the double helix shape, which consists of two long strips, the polymers, which run parallel to and twist around each other. Connected to either end of these polymers are long strands of genetic chromosomes. In humans, there are 46 chromosomes that are made up of base pairs of various sugar and base pairings. These all combine to make a single strand of DNA, of which there are many in an organism.

DNA fingerprinting can determine a child's father or identify suspects from crime scene samples. Because 99.9 percent of human DNA is identical,...

Before the 1980s, blood tests were the primary way to establish paternity when the father of a child was in question. Since...

DNA carries the central instructions for protein synthesis in the cell. DNA carries genes that are encoded and transferred to RNA molecules....

DNA testing, or genetic profiling, involves the analysis of an individual's skin, saliva, semen, blood, hair or other bodily material to learn...

A DNA fingerprint is a piece of DNA so distinct that it can prove a person's identity. These distinct areas can take...

In 1984, during a scientific experiment regarding the repeated core sequences in DNA, Sir Alec Jeffreys accidentally discovered DNA fingerprinting. Sir Jeffreys...

In chemistry, a polymer is a chemical compound formed by a sequence of repeated smaller units called monomers. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) consists...

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What Is DNA? | eHow

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10 Different Types of Libertarianism

Posted: at 1:41 pm

By Tom Head

Anarcho-Capitalism:

Anarcho-capitalists believe that governments monopolize services that would be better left to corporations, and should be abolished entirely in favor of a system in which corporations provide services we associate with the government. The popular sci-fi novel Jennifer Government describes a system that is very close to anarcho-capitalist.

Civil Libertarianism:

Civil libertarians believe that the government should not pass laws that restrict, oppress, or selectively fail to protect people in their day-to-day lives.

Their position can best be summed up by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' statement that "a man's right to swing his fist ends where my nose begins." In the United States, the American Civil Liberties Union represents the interests of civil libertarians. Civil libertarians may or may not also be fiscal libertarians.

Classical Liberalism:

Classical liberals agree with the words of the Declaration of Independence: That all people have basic human rights, and that the sole legitimate function of government is to protect those rights. Most of the Founding Fathers, and most of the European philosophers who influenced them, were classical liberals.

Fiscal Libertarianism:

Fiscal libertarians (also referred to as laissez-faire capitalists) believe in free trade, low (or nonexistent) taxes, and minimal (or nonexistent) corporate regulation. Most traditional Republicans are moderate fiscal libertarians.

Geolibertarianism:

Geolibertarians (also called "one-taxers") are fiscal libertarians who believe that land can never be owned, but may be rented. They generally propose the abolition of all income and sales taxes in favor of a single land rental tax, with the revenue used to support collective interests (such as military defense) as determined through a democratic process.

Libertarian Socialism:

Libertarian socialists agree with anarcho-capitalists that government is a monopoly and should be abolished, but they believe that nations should be ruled instead by work-share cooperatives or labor unions instead of corporations. The philosopher Noam Chomsky is the best known American libertarian socialist.

Minarchism:

Like anarcho-capitalists and libertarian socialists, minarchists believe that most functions currently served by the government should be served by smaller, non-government groups--but they believe that a government is still needed to serve a few collective needs, such as military defense.

Neolibertarianism:

Neolibertarians are fiscal libertarians who support a strong military, and believe that the U.S. government should use that military to overthrow dangerous and oppressive regimes. It is their emphasis on military intervention that distinguishes them from paleolibertarians (see below), and gives them reason to make common cause with neoconservatives.

Objectivism:

The Objectivist movement was founded by the Russian-American novelist Ayn Rand (1905-1982), author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, who incorporated fiscal libertarianism into a broader philosophy emphasizing rugged individualism and what she called "the virtue of selfishness."

Paleolibertarianism:

Paleolibertarians differ from neolibertarians (see above) in that they are isolationists who do not believe that the United States should become entangled in international affairs. They also tend to be suspicious of international coalitions such as the United Nations, liberal immigration policies, and other potential threats to cultural stability.

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10 Different Types of Libertarianism

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